Live a little
by GemmaNye
Summary: Bella Swan - the poster girl for normality, is probably the least interesting person you could ever meet, who at age 23 has a daughter, a husband and a favourite detergent brand. But then, in a chance encounter with Julia, she has a chance to change this and finally Live a Little. (Female Jacob OC, contains lemons)
1. Ice, Magazines and Adam Sandler

The sun rose on a chilly Sunday morning, and the dark haired woman shivered as she pulled the collar of her blue coat up against the cold. Her heeled boots slid slightly on the icy tarmac, and she cussed under her breath, and continued to walk on the grass, which crunched beneath her feet. Bella had never had an excellent balance, and didn't quite feel like a visit to A and E today. It had been unseasonably cold for October, and Bella was hyper aware of this as she carried her shopping through the suburban park. Renesmee had stayed at Charlie's all weekend, and she knew that her young daughter had a unique bond with her aging grandfather - it was if they could communicate telepathically, knowing exactly which LEGO brick had to go where or which crayon was the perfect match for her bronze ringlets.

She ached for that sort of relationship with, well... anyone. Charlie had always been hilariously abysmal at interpreting her feelings, and Edward was always _quiet, _seldom laughing, and only at things that Bella found excruciatingly unfunny. But they got on fine, taking turns to take Nessie to school and equally dividing homework and bath duty, but their jobs meant that they spent little time alone together, since Bella was always long gone by the time he awoke, and was occasionally asleep by the time that he returned from work, since he preferred to mark papers at the silence of the campus instead of the noise of their small London flat.

But they were alone today, and Bella was unsure what to feel about this, she wanted to feel excited, glad or at least a single recognisable emotion, but she was strangely ambiguous about it, and hoped that her morning excursion would help clear things up. However as her block of flats loomed ever closer, she realised it was a wasted effort, still just as confused as she was when she first left the tiny apartment.

When Edward heard the familiar rattle of his wife's keys in the door, he took a deep breath and tried to mentally prepare for the day ahead in the few seconds it took her to unlock the perpetually jammed door. _You are glad _he pathetically thought to himself, just as emotionally unperturbed as Bella, well, he could certainly sense nervousness in there somewhere, which is at least something.

"Hey b-" he got out before he began to splutter and cough for a long moment, leaving his wife with a stupid smile on her face for too long "Hey babe" he eventually managed, his voice hoarse.

Bella took this as a cue to drop the smile, turning to place her shopping on the kitchen counter before hurriedly kissing him on the cheek.

"Hey babe, fancy a DVD?" She said, nodding over at their meagre selection of movies.

"Sure, yeah, how's about... Jack and Jill?" Bella winced at this, but was surprised at Edward's diplomacy at this choice, knowing full well they'd hate it equally, so at least it was fair.

"Yeah, go for it" She said with a noncommittal smile as she removed her navy coat to expose a burgundy woolen jumper that she adored (or had at least learned to, due to the price tag).

She placed herself down on their cream sofa, which had stopped being spotless a long time ago, since messes abound when one has a five year old running about. Edward began to load the DVD, the flatscreen tv flickering to life as he did so and Bella, the moment the title screen flashed up, prepared herself for the single most uncomedic comedy she had ever had the misfortune to watch.

An hour and forty minutes later, Bella peeled herself from the couch, the most bemused that she'd been in her life, and decided that if she was doing everything she hated all at once, she might as well buy a magazine as well. She was really just fishing for excuses to leave the claustrophobic flat, and was dying for some fresh air. Edward grunted affirmatively when she donned her coat and exclaimed to the room in general that she was leaving to go to the off-license down the road.

The icy cold wind hit her in the face as she stepped out into the frosty midday sun (sun being a bit of a poetic stretch for _bugger all), _at least this time Bella had remembered to properly wrap up, mittens and all. Everything was colour coordinated, because that was so Bella, and if you think this was extreme, we are talking about the woman who _actually_ goes to the dentist when she recieves the postcard telling her it's time for a checkup.

"Hello" She chirped to the familiar man behind the counter, who she mostly saw whenever they were out of milk and so desperate they were willing to pay two pounds for it.

"That'll be three pound" the blotchy faced shopkeeper grunted, and since his prices were quite that offensive and Bella was generally having a pretty shit day, she muttered _fuck it _under her breath and inhaled deeply

"Also, can I have 20 Rothman blue king size" she said, giving up on her carefree facade.

"Twelve pound" he grunted after a while, clearly not used to the logistics of a customer buying more than one item. She grimaced at the thievery going on before her, but paid it anyway, replacing her mittens tentatively after she tucked the magazine and the cigarettes into her handbag

When the door shut behind her with the tinkle of a bell, Bella paused, unsure about what her plan was now. She had always kept a lighter in her bag (well, not so much kept as not taken out), and strongly debated whether to just throw caution to the wind and light one, but she had been doing so well and couldn't stand the disappointed look on Edward's face when she sat back down on the couch stinking of smoke. He had first talked her off them when Bella was seventeen, trying to ground her rebellious ways, and then she'd gotten pregnant aged eighteen, and never regained the habit. She knew it was bad for her, but she honestly couldn't care less. With a pained grunt, she dropped onto a bench, cigarette free, and to distract herself, picked up the sickeningly gregarious magazine, promising her the best sex of her life if she turned to page fifteen.

Instead she scanned the front page, coming to terms with the fact that she had just wasted three pounds on this crock of shit, when one of the eyewateringly bright titles caught her eye. I

It read: **In a rut? Tired of the same routine? Follow our five steps and learn to Live a Little!**

Bella rolled her eyes at this, but for the sake of morbid curiosity combined her with a desperate urge not to have just thrown away three quid on a magazine, turned to the indicated page and felt her eyes flitting left to right as she absorbed the brightly coloured and vernacular filled text, but the basic message was becoming clearer as she read on: _get out of your comfort zone, try new things, take a chance, be impulsive. _

None of these things sounded at all _Bella, _but that's why it fascinated her so, she had been constantly bombarded with the many hijinks and adventures of Jessica and Angela, Facebook friends from a different era, an era when Bella had smoked, gone out and gotten pregnant at eighteen. The only reminders of this age were their sunny pictures and mountainous backgrounds that filled her with the memory of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She missed it, if she was being honest, yet she wasn't.

Bella flicked to the front cover, light snow beginning to dampen it, and reread the title, over and over, but only comprehending the same phrase repeatedly, and came to the final decision that it was now time to _Live a Little._

_**Thanks a bunch to my bestie Anna for agreeing with me that the first chapter was shit, hope you enjoy this one better (I know I do). Thanks to everyone for supporting this story, it really gives me the motivation to write more, got chapter 4 in the works, currently at 6k words and I'm not even finished yet. It's a cracker - lots of love,**_

_**Gemma **_


	2. An encounter

Bella awoke with a start, blinded by the brightness of the early morning sun in her face. When she raised her head, she saw Renesmee, straddling her playfully, with her long brown hair resembling a birds' nest. Nessie flashed her mother a grin, exposing her missing teeth. This was hardly out of character for her, but Bella was constantly amazed by her daughter's youthful exuberance, and tried her best to be grateful for it before Nessie became **a teenager...**

"Come on mum, I'm hungry and daddy wouldn't wake up" Bella glanced to her left and confirmed that Edward was indeed dead to the world, she didn't remember him coming to bed so it must have been past midnight when he joined her, Edward always stayed on the couch until at least eleven PM without fail, but at least it meant that Bella had the bed to herself.

"Alright, munchkin, but we're not going anywhere if I can't get up" Bella poked her ribs playfully and she giggled and hopped off, with an unnatural vigour for half seven in the morning.

Quarter to eight - Nessie was sat at the kitchen counter, eating as much cereal as she was spilling everywhere, as Bella took a brush to the nest that had taken residence on Renesmee's head, fashioning her own into a bun at the nape of her neck.

Eight - Renesmee was stood at the door, gouging a dent into the frame with her shoe, as Bella rushed around gathering Nessie's school things, high heeled boots click clacking about relentlessly, her hairstyle becoming **fashionably messier,** and wearing an open plaid shirt with a black tank top beneath it and jeans. Bella couldn't exactly _dress up_ for work but she wouldn't wish a pant suit on her worst enemy, glances at her watch every two seconds only heightening her stress levels and she practically lobbed Nessie's backpack at her in her hurry to get out the door, slamming it behind her with enough force to wake Edward, who's sleep could evidently manage to withstand almost all of his daughter's tantrums.

Half eight - Bella breathed a sigh of relief as she waved Nessie goodbye through the school gates and turned the ignition in her Volvo XC70, the familiar growling noise calming her nerves. Bella reached into her nondescript handbag, retrieving the unopened cigarettes, a million thoughts and emotions swirling through her mind. She deliberately slit the wrapper with her thumb, her internal monologue (which spoke with Edward's voice) screaming at her, and realised she couldn't justify her one vice to herself. With a sigh, she returned the familiar blue box to her bag, doubtless to be taken out and pondered over yet again later on in the day. Conflicted and angry, Bella's patience had finally worn thin, and so she flipped off another mum who cut her off, an act quite out of character for her, and sped further into the city.

When she finally entered _Bean and gone, _the one place that had offered Bella a job when she was a nineteen year old with a daughter and a failed education, the waft of coffee physically knocked her back a step, meaning it must be a restock day. Steeling herself, Bella approached Mike, the owner and resident arsehole of the coffee shop.

"Hey Mike, how was your weekend?" She asked with a sickly smile, it couldn't do any harm to try and weasel into his good books, right? "It was nothing much, met my girl's parents for her dad's birthday" He replied dismissively, eyeing her with suspicion and giving no indication that he gave a shit about any of the people he had mentioned.

"Am I to assume there's only one girl, then?" She asked, her voice dripping with mock-astonishment. "Has someone finally caught up with Mike 'Ladykiller' Newton?" Bella smirked whilst donning her apron. "Evidently so, Cullen, and by the way I'm gonna need you to be on bathroom watch, we don't want a repeat of last Wednesday" He wrinkled his nose, whilst Bella was torn between disgust, and amusement at how quickly he had changed the subject. Bella's boss didn't exactly have a reputation for being the most down-to-earth person. She rolled her eyes and donned her tattered apron, taking her familiar place at the till. It's not like she didn't like it at the coffee shop, the atmosphere, the noise, the people - it was nice to be just a two dimensional smiling face every now and then, at least no one felt obliged to ask her how her day was.

"Would you like an extra shot of espresso for 20p?" Bella chirped for the thirty second time that morning, and for the thirty second time the customer before her gave a dismissive grunt and trundled on to pay. The man looked to be around sixty, with a navy baseball cap and a protruding jaw - Bella thought he looked like someone about to go off to a museum or art gallery - she bet his wife was off having a reconciliation dinner with their son who had just graduated medical sch-

"What was that, sorry?"

"I would just be askin' where the sugar was" the man repeated shortly, his words lisping around the few remaining teeth he posesssd.

"Just over there" Bella indicated, pointing over his shoulder to the the milk and sugar desk (for want of a better term, this is what Bella had taken to calling it). The man grunted and was gone, and Bella had only just finished watching him walk away when a polite cough again dragged her back to reality. She snapped her head round to the customer, her trademark smile plastering itself onto her face, when she did a small double take. At this time in the morning, it was usually a groggy commuter that she was serving, but the woman before her was neither of those things - what Bella noticed immediately about the stranger was her height, which was considerably larger than Bella's 5ft 4 even if she tried to accentuate her height in heels, the next thing was her face, which consisted of russet skin stretched taut over a narrow jaw and prominent cheekbones, this paired with her brownish-green eyes gave her a raw, earthy energy that was unlike anything Bella had ever seen before. She could feel herself becoming jittery over this tall, dark stranger and focused all of her attention on being as blasé and cool as possible.

"So...uh...are you okay? I mean- do you want anything? Coffee, I mean... but... yes?" Bella could have kicked herself for rambling on like that but she was instead focused on trying to cool down her face which was getting pinker by the second.

"Umm..." The stranger lifted her warm eyes to the menu above Bella's head, absent-mindedly running a hand through her short, dark hair whilst she scanned it briefly (a bit of a faux pas at a coffee shop, but Bella was in no rush for this stranger to leave)

"A medium cappuccino to go, please" For the first time their eyes met as the stranger flashed her an amused grin at Bella's flustered expression. Bella wanted the ground to swallow her up as she span around and got to making the coffee, hardly paying attention as her hands went through the actions they have gone through thousands of times

"Would you like an extra shot of espresso for 20p?" Bella chirped, her back still turned so she could concentrate solely on the words, instead of the person she was saying them to.

"I'm certain you're tired of hearing this, but I'm fine, thank you"

_Understatement of the year _Bella thought to herself as she accepted the 5 note the stranger had slid over the counter to her.

"Chocolate on top?" She asked, counting out 3 to give as change

"I'm not a complete monster, chocolate would be great thanks" The woman grinned at her yet again _Did she not know how debilitating that was? _

"H-here's your coffee," Bella placed the finished drink on the counter "and your change" She placed the pound coins into the stranger's outstretched palm, and their fingers brushed together, just for a fleeting second, but it was enough.

Bella gasped aloud, the woman's hand was warm, very warm, as if she had a fever.

"Are you alright?" The dark haired woman asked, concern playing across her brows.

"Yes, I-uh... you're very hot, I mean.. your hand was... warm- are you ill? I'm sorry-"

"I'm fine. Thank you, Bella"

The woman smiled genuinely and strode off, leaving a very red faced Bella behind her. She knew the stranger had read her name from her apron, but it still felt nice to hear her say it. Bella closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and plastered on her trademark smile for the next customer.

Bella groaned, her watch read 16:45 and no one wanted a coffee at 16:45. Ever. So came the daily tradition of twiddling her thumbs for a quarter of an hour. For an enormous amount of time (which was around two minutes), Bella stared out into the distance, thanking her lucky stars that her bathroom cleaning expertise hadn't been required, but she swiftly became bored of this and elected to start emptying the till.

She entered her ID and the drawer opened with a satisfying _ca-shing. _She took out the notes and began to count them, **five...ten...fifteen...twenty... **but then something fell out of the wad, a small slip of paper fluttered onto the floor. Bella replaced the notes and bent down to pick it up. She unfolded the small slip and read it, and as she did, a million and one emotions flooded through her brain (too many for 16:47 on a Monday). It read:

_I'm not exactly the give-my-number-to-a-barista type but I'd like to get to know you._

_07982 459063_

_Julia ;)_

Bella paled, then flushed. She had a mind to rip the paper up and forget about the woman, but she folded the paper - paused - and slipped it into her pocket. _I'd like to get to know you too... Julia._


	3. Stranded

"Ah, shit!" Bella exclaimed as the number 89 bus sped off into the horizon "The one fucking day you don't drive to work" She rolled her eyes and sat down at the bus stop to catch her breath. It had been Edward's idea, Bella catching the bus - part of a PR campaign at his work 'give us funding because we have reduced our carbon footprint'. Easy enough on paper, but this had been Edward's best (and only) idea so she agreed, but now it was half past five and already getting dark - and to add insult to injury, the next bus was in forty five minutes.

"Hey, babe" Bella said down the phone five minutes later "I'm stuck at the bus stop, do you think you could pick me up?" She mouthed a silent prayer

"_I'm so sorry, babe, but I have like thirty assignments I need to grade before tomorrow, I really can't spare any time" _Edward's voice sounded frustratingly soppy from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, it's just the next one is in forty minu-"

"_Wait one sec, babe, Nessie's calling from the other room" _And with that he hung up.

Bella paused for a moment, phone still up to her ear. Then she slowly lowered it, eyes glazed and staring into the distance. Then, gradually at first but then escalating, Bella began to cry. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried like this, but everything just felt so hopeless and bleak, she was stranded at a bus stop in the center of London, she couldn't afford a cab and she had no one to pick her up. Not helping matters, it was also about four degrees Celsius and Bella could see her breath clouding around her.

"Fuck it" she muttered after she had calmed down a bit and reached into her bag. Pulling out a single cigarette, she rummaged around for the lighter that she always kept just in case, coming up empty handed. Bella scowled and lifted her face to the sky, silently wondering why God had forsaken her today, it was as if he had stored up a years worth of bad luck and dumped it on Bella all at once.

"Need a light?" Spoke a voice that was soft and carried on the wind, yet was deep enough to demand attention to it's speaker. Bella started at this, and twisted her whole body around to look into the darkness, expecting to see nothing, but instead there was a figure who stood out in the light from the street lamps. The figure stepped forward, sitting herself down on the bench next to Bella, and extending a red lighter. Bella recognised her at once, yet was unsure if she was dreaming.

"Julia" she breathed, transfixed on the willowy figure who was sat next to her. Bella placed the cigarette between her lips and Julia lit it swiftly, doing the same for her own cigarette.

"You've been crying" Noticed Julia, speaking softly around the cigarette, which she took a pull of before breathing out a cloud of smoke.

"Yes, it's.. uh... gone a bit shit" Bella replied, smiling wryly as she exhaled the beautifully familiar smoke. "It's the age old tale, miss your bus and have a shit head husband who can't be bothered to come pick you up"

"Yep, I've been there, well, all except for that last bit - never really been interested in that _Holy matrimony _business, been scared off by too many" She put on a Spanish accent "'_When are you going to make me a proud abuela?'_s at the dinner table" Bella laughed at this, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"I'm so sorry for not calling you" Bella said quietly, looking down at her feet "I just didn't know what to say, and I'm such an awkward texter you wouldn't belie-"

"It's fine, really" Julia sighed, exhaling another gust of smoke "being stood up by straight girls is part of my job description" after she heard this, Bella choked on the smoke she had just inhaled, coughing loudly.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were an amateur" Julia grinned over at her.

"Str... straight?" Bella coughed again "I'm... I'm really not"

"Oh?" Julia said, lifting her thick eyebrows (and Bella could have sworn she saw her green eyes brighten slightly).

"No, I... I think that you love a person, not a gender, you know?" Bella felt like she was in sociology class all over again "I think that everybody has the capacity to love anybody" She reasoned, her head tilting to the side slightly.

"Well, I think that gender has something to do with it, I mean," Julia began, crushing her cigarette beneath a black boot "I tried sex with a man once, couldn't even get to third base without having to tap out" She said, and the two women grinned at each other.

"Well" said Bella, blowing out the last wonderful breath of smoke and stepping on the cigarette "It's not the most... pleasurable, in my experience" Bella smiled at the intimate conversation she was having with this stranger, she didn't even know Julia's surname.

"I probably, well, definitely should have asked you this earlier, but do you need a ride?" Julia brandished some keys that she had pulled out of her leather jacket, smirking at Bella.

"Yes please, if it's not too much trouble" said Bella, sighing heavily with relief that she wouldn't be stuck at this bus stop for another half an hour. "Where are you parked?"

"Oh, just down the road" mused Julia, springing up from the bench and offering Bella a hand. She took her hand and pulled herself up, shocked again at how hot her touch was.

They set off walking together, Bella imagining what type of car the taller woman would drive - it would definitely be black, perhaps a Range Rover or off-road vehicle. She looked up at her. Definitely an off road vehicle - Julia just had that look of a mechanic or lumberjack, chopping wood outside, arms exposed showing rippling muscles, sweat pouring down her fa-

"So what's this shithead husband like?" She asked, glancing around at Bella, her eyes jovial.

"University Professor, Head of modern foreign languages, always off on a student exchange or school trip or whatever" Bella rolled her eyes, remembering that he would jet off for Hamburg on Thursday.

"University professor? You must have a glittering retirement plan" Julia smirked.

"Yep, can't wait for the days when he's saying God knows what to the locals of whatever European village Edward wants to move to. Would it be bad to have another cigarette?" Bella quickly added, not knowing when she would be able to have another.

"Not at all, we're nearly there" Julia said, passing Bella a cigarette and lighting it when it was between her lips. She lingered with the lighter extended for a bit longer than was necessary, but Julia had momentarily gotten lost in the other woman's eyes, so it took her a moment to regain composure. Julia coughed, returning the lighter to her pocket as Bellas took a long drag on the cigarette.

"So" Bella asked around the cigarette "which one's yours?" She craned her neck at the cars, trying to spot a Range Rover.

"Over here" said Julia, walking towards a baby blue Fiat 500. In an inexplicable way this made Bella acutely disappointed, a feeling that disappeared the moment that Julia stopped _behind _the tiny Fiat.

"Oh my God" Bella breathed, her eyes wide as she stopped in her tracks. "She's beautiful" Bella marvelled over the machine in front of her. Bella hadn't thought about it before but it made perfect sense that Julia drove a motorbike, and this wasn't just a motorbike - it was a **motorbike**.

"She is, isn't she" Julia started, caressing the black paintwork with her hand "Harley-Davidson Street, found her almost a year ago, managed to get her up and running again" _aha! _Bella thought _so she was a mechanic, _despite being glad at getting this right, she was somewhat disappointed that her lumberjack fantasy wasn't true, but she was going to take that to the grave.

"I hope you're not afraid of bikes?" Julia turned around quickly, with a challenging expression.

"Never been on one" Bella admitted, still transfixed by the glorious machine.

"Well" Julia's expression became flirtatious, snapping Bella out of her trance "there's a first time for everything, isn't there" and with a wink, Julia unhooked her helmet from the handlebars, and opened up the seat to retrieve a matching one for Bella.

Bella, feeling serious butterflies due to a perfect storm of: nervousness at her first motorbike ride, and the truly debilitating effect that Julia had just had on Bella.

"Where do you live?"

"24 A, cross acres" she thought for a second and then nodded.

Julia smoothed her black pixie cut back and donned her helmet, opening the visor so Bella could see her eyes. Julia mounted the bike, and Bella placed her own helmet on and gingerly sat behind the tall woman. Julia turned around to look at her and giggled "You can hold on, you know" Bella complied and instantly repressed a squeak - Julia's arms were hard and muscly, a fact well concealed by her leather jacket, and Bella, well, Bella found this _incredibly _sexy.

Julia started up the bike, and they both felt the soothing rumble of the engine.

The woman turned around to face Bella - "scared?"

"Yes" replied Bella, terrified that she would fall off.

Julia grinned at her and closed the visor of her helmet, turning to face the road. And with that, the shot off into the night.

Bella screamed for a moment, as it felt like she had left her insides twenty metres behind them, but then began to get used to the feeling, the exhilaration. She didn't quite loosen her vice-like grip on Julia's waist though, since she didn't quite trust herself not to go flying off the back of the bike.

Bella knew it was cliché but she didn't care, she reached around the back of her head and pulled her hair out of it's bun, letting it stream behind the bike. She screamed again, but not out of fear, it was an exclamation of pure excitement and adrenaline - she was loving every second of it, the streetlamps flying past, the lights of the city glaring her vision, the empty roads that Julia appeared to be enjoying very much. Bella sighed, and melted into the woman in front of her, burying her face into her shoulder. Bella had been shivering on the bench before, but Julia was like a radiator and it wasn't an unpleasant experience. Bella noted that Julia smelt like musk and almonds, a scent that she wouldn't mind getting more familiar with.

Bella felt gutted when she started to recognise the parts of the city that were flying by, and realised that the journey was coming to an end. When they eventually came to a stop a street away from Bella's apartment, Julia practically had to wrench her off her waist.

"Well, how was that for a first motorbike ride?" Julia grinned as she removed her helmet and placed it on the handlebars.

"Oh my God!" Bella squealed as she sprung up off the bike, "it was amazing!" Bella twirled as she removed her helmet and handed it to Julia. "I feel so.. so _alive"_

"I swear I thought you were trying to suffocate me" The two women giggled as they stumbled down the road.

"I thought it would have been a bad first impression if I'd have fallen off the motorbike" Bella snorted, red in the face from laughing, as she looked over at Julia, who looked like she couldn't breathe through giggles.

When they had calmed down, and were nearly at Bella's apartment, Bella took both of Julia's hands in her own and turned to look at her. "I want to do this again, me and you" she said, brown eyes gazing into green.

"Bella" Julia whispered "I'd love nothing more" and it felt so good to hear Julia say her name, Bella couldn't stop herself, and reached up on tip-toe to press her lips against Julia's, and ran her fingers through Julia's dark hair. The kiss, which was sincere and longing, ended both too quickly and after too long - and Julia tasted wonderfully of cigarette smoke. Julia, forehead pressed to Bella's, lifted up the brunette with ease, and pressed her up against the wall, kissing her again, more intensely this time, as she pressed her knee between Bella's legs. "Bella" She murmured, taking a breath, "Bella". They locked their lips together again, Bella's hands wandering up Julia's shirt. Bella let out a moan and began to kiss the neck of the taller woman. "We can't do this" Bella admitted, grinding against Julia's thigh "not here, not now". And reluctantly both of the women slowed down, and Julia lowered Bella onto her feet.

"To be continued, I hope?" Julia spoke, breathless.

"I might be a party pooper but I'm not that bad" Bella grinned over at Julia "I won't stop thinking about you" she said with desperation.

"At least you'll have something to remember me by" Julia breathed, bathing Bella in her delicious scent. The two women separated and began walking again, both more than a little annoyed.

"This is me" Bella said, turning to face Julia with sadness in her eyes.

"I'll see you soon..." Julia pressed her forehead against Bella's again "Bella" They kissed again, slowly, as if both trying to savour it. After a lingering moment, the two parted, and Bella buzzed open the door and closed it behind her, sighing deeply as she leant back onto the door. Unbeknownst to her, on the outside, Julia had just sighed that same sigh.

The rest of the night, through dinner, through getting Nessie to sleep, through going to bed early, Edward continually asked Bella why she was smiling.

"Oh, nothing, just a good day is all" was her repeated response. She wondered if Edward could grasp _quite how good a day it was._

———————————————————————

**Hey everybody, Gemma here, thanks for the support this story is getting, and I hope this chapter is what you've all been waiting for (got more exciting plans coming up though, peeps). **

**Thanks for reading this story - Gemma**

**P.S: if you are having difficulty imagining Julia, think of Ruby Rose as the baseline x**


	4. Newness

Julia briefly glanced up and down at herself in her cracked mirror, styling her hair into spikes with a wet hand. She didn't hold too much stock in her appearance, but her short pixie cut was definitely an exception. She would happily walk out of her house and face the world in rags, but only as long as her dark hair was perfectly arranged. She had thrown on a Pink Floyd T-shirt and ripped jeans and felt ready to attend an alternative rock concert, so that meant her outfit was perfect.

The tall woman's ears pricked up at a faint buzz that came from her dressing table. She wouldn't let herself admit it, but she had been listening for the sound all morning, because she knew exactly who it would be.

_Morning beautiful, hope that 8:45 isn't too bright and early for you - B x_

At the other end of the line, Bella, sat in her steamed up Volvo which was still parked at Nessie's school, was stressing out intensely. _Morning beautiful? They had only met a few days ago, they weren't lifelong spouses with three cats and eight dogs... _But Bella was proud that she'd managed to send anything at all, having spent an embarrassingly long amount of time drafting and redrafting this simple text. When her phone pinged, she nearly jumped out of her seat.

_8:45? You'll have to get up damn early in the AM to catch me, Bells. J _

Bells? The woman began to panic in her car seat, drawing her knees up to her chest. Bella wished that she had the easygoing confidence she saw in Julia, but she kept catching herself overanalysing this reply. With a deep breath, she began to type back - _witty and charming _she thought to herself _just be witty and charming... _

Julia finally exhaled as the next message came through whilst she was taking a bite out of her toast, and she read it with a stupid smirk on her face.

_Might try that someday, you'll need to show me to your room so that I know where to find you, of course - B x_

_Speaking of, fancy grabbing some drinks after work? I know a nice place, hope you won't mind hanging with the common folk. J_

Bella flushed and finally elected to start the car, engine rumbling softly as she thanked the lord she had stood up to Edward about his stupid bus plan. She knew she should think about this, weigh up the benefits and consequences, and reach a balanced decision, but instead she picked up her phone and typed back a message uncharacteristicly quickly.

_I'd love to, nice to have a break from the port and cigars, I'll pick you up at six? - B x_

_See you then, I'll text you the directions later, enjoy work, gorgeous. J_

After Julia had sent this message, she felt like squealing like a little girl, and permitted herself a toothy grin. _A date. _She tried to cast her mind back to the last date she had been on and couldn't conjure anything up - she hadn't exactly been the _dating _type per se. Monogamy had been the most dull concept ever in the mind of the eighteen year old Julia, and she had instead preferred to, well, _test the water _was the nicest way of putting it. Another more blunt way of saying it (and the way her dad described it) was that she'd had more girlfriends than Ellen Degeneres. But now she was older, she felt like it was time to slow down a bit, and at least she could say she was doing just that with Bella, they had spent a whole evening together and not had sex (which was certainly a first for Julia), although they had certainly come tantalising close, which was more than enough for now.

Bella arrived at _Bean and Gone_ in a surprisingly cheery mood, and Mike had definitely noticed it because he had told Bella that her low bun was particularly messy today, but she wasn't going to let that penetrate her beautiful bubble of euphoria (which also blocked out all Edward-shaped speech bubbles which were all screaming at the top of their lungs).

She even shocked herself when she heard the unfamiliar phrases _"Good morning" _and _"Have a nice day" _leave her lips. Bella had always had a 'does what it says on the tin' approach to working, sure she'd make coffee, clean the equipment and (her nose wrinkled slightly) _be on bathroom duty, _but she had never been the above and beyond type. At least something must be working, because by closing time, Bella jingled as she wiped down each soiled table, her pockets full of change - and it's now even like she particularly _wanted _any of it, the money had just accumulated by many "_Oh no, I insist"_s throughout the day. _At least _Bella thought with a smile _you can be the buying your date a drink type. _

When Bella flew out of the coffee shop, marching the short walk to her car, she immediately checked her phone, eyes flying to the address Julia had sent her. After reading it several times, she had committed it to memory, but nevertheless she bit the cap off the pen she stored in her handbag and, feeling like an octogenarian, wrote the address on the back of her hand.

She had just enough time to speed home and get changed, but she hadn't a clue what to wear. Bella regarded her extensive wardrobe with dread - what does one wear on a date? She had never been on a date before, and was completely unsure whether you wore a hoodie or if tie and tails would suffice. She pulled out a dark green dress _\- too gaudy. _She replaced it swiftly and grabbed a navy dress. Bella's dark eyes ran along it's length slowly, it was relatively simple -_ classic - _and flowed nicely, ending at around knee length. _It'll do _she thought, her mind now on how she would accessorise, thinking that silver would be a nice colour to complement it.

"Shit" cussed Julia, looking down at her clothes, which were splattered in oil and god knows what other car paraphernalia. Her mind hadn't really contemplated this very likely scenario, and now she had fifteen minutes to be date-ready. She stood in the doorway of her room, drumming her fingers against her thigh. "Shit" she repeated, regarding the unholy mess through Bella's eyes, and quickly got to tidying it, throwing dirty clothes in the washing machine and replacing books roughly on random shelves. The tall woman gave a white tank top and patterned blue shirt _the sniff test _and, satisfied that they had passed, threw them on with some jeans. She then spent longer than she cared to admit meticulously applying eyeliner and was out of the door just as a car horn began to honk outside.

Bella made a swift intake of breath after she had pipped the car horn twice - she had in fact been sat outside in her car for at least five minutes, steeling herself, getting in the right mindset as well as having a mini-breakdown. It's not as if she had just taken off - Nessie had begged to stay at Charlie's again so they could finish their LEGO _magnum opus, _and Edward had gone AWOL, giving Bella some half-hearted excuse about packing for his Hamburg trip tomorrow, so she wasn't being missed, was she?

When Julia turned after having locked the door to her small house, she spotted Bella with a wide grin on her face. She was leaning against her car, the picture of a goddess, with her arms crossed, a navy dress peeking out from beneath a leather jacket and a very large, very hairy cat weaving around her black heels.

"Who's this?" Bella asked, tickling the tabby behind the ears and smiling up at her.

"Oh, she's Anna" Julia was amused at the sudden appearance of her friend "she just hangs around, I leave food out for her sometimes, eats like she's never seen food before" Bella chuckled this, straightening up and brushing her now very hairy hands together, and her face changed, fully observing the figure in front of her.

"You look... beautiful" she spoke clearly, lifting her eyes to meet Julia's. The cat, now realising that it would be receiving no more cuddles from either party, scampered away towards a dustbin.

"Thanks" Julia went red and flashed a grin "You look gorgeous" she approached the woman leaning on the car, until they were almost touching. Bella's breath quickened noticeably as she gazed up at the tall figure

"You know," Julia spoke softly, her head bowing so she could whisper into the other woman's ear "we could just go straight inside..."

Bella closed her eyes and inhaled, seeing if Julia's scent had been close to what she remembered, after _thoroughly _confirming this, her eyes opened again, a mischievous glint there that wasn't there before.

"Believe me, I'd love nothing more" she started, mimicking Julia's hushed and seductive tone "_but" _she sprung sideways and brandished her keys, making the taller woman leap backwards at Bella's sudden playful tone "I believe I was promised a date" and with that she gave an innocent grin and skipped round to the driver's seat of her Volvo and hopped in.

Julia, still shell shocked, smirked blankly and clambered awkwardly into the passenger seat.

"Who do they make these seats for?" She said incredulously, still arranging her lanky form so she could be somewhat comfortable "My knees are up to my bastard ears over here"

Bella managed to squeak through laughing "You... you can p-put the seat back" and she demonstrated this on her own seat, rolling it back and forth.

"Oh, _good, _so it's only my arms that will have to hang out of the sunroof"

"It's hardly my fault that you have freakishly long limbs" Bella managed to get out without bursting into laughter, adjusting her mirror. "So where are we off to, then?" She made the mistake of looking to her left and seeing Julia, her head ducked slightly, her legs immovably wedged up against the dashboard and her arms awkwardly hanging over her body and a face like thunder. Bella made a face, pinching her lips together so as to not begin laughing again.

"Ummm, I was thinking of **Graecian**_, _it's a-" she coughed, a smile creeping onto her face "_bar _that I used to frequent"

"It's not a nightclub, is it?" Bella looked concerned, nightclubs had never really been her scene.

"No, I'm classier than that, I don't take women to a nightclub on a date" she thought for a moment "well, not on a first date anyways" and she winked over at Bella, who pointedly looked away whilst concealing a smile.

"So what is it then?" Bella wondered, half to herself.

"I suppose you'll find out when we get there" Julia smirked and tucked a stray piece of hair behind the other woman's ear.

———————————————————————

Bella began to wonder quite where the taller woman was leading her, since they had been walking for ten minutes and had left the colour and noise of the bars well behind them, the street they were walking down instead had lots of quaint little restaurants that were bustling with tourists.

"Don't worry, we're nearly there" Julia turned and smiled at her, extending her hand, which Bella took, relishing the heat radiating off it.

All of a sudden, Julia changed direction, heading off down a back alley between two restaurants, and the sound of polite conversation slowly faded away. Just as Bella opened her mouth to ask the question, it was immediately answered for her.

**The Graecian **declared a pink neon sign above an otherwise inconspicuous doorway, Bella looked over at the other woman, her face bathed in it's coloured light. She reached a strong hand out and opened the door, pushing it gently as it had no door handle. It swung inwards, revealing a descending staircase and faint strains of music drifting up at them.

"After you" Julia grinned with a flourish towards the open door.

Reluctantly, Bella released the taller woman's hand and faced the stairway. With a deep breath, she began to descend the narrow steps, the dark corridor becoming lighter and the strains of music getting louder, so that Bella could distinguish it as guitar. Then, before she knew it, a whole scene exploded into view before her, she didn't know what she was expecting - but it wasn't this.

The place before her was a bar all right, but like none other that Bella had seen. It had a retro, classic feel - all exposed brickwork and filament lightbulbs - with a small, homely atmosphere, and intimate booths lining the walls. But what Bella had noticed immediately upon stepping in was the _men, _in that there were none whatsoever. Instead there were women of all shapes and sizes - tall, short, black, white, Asian, Hispanic - all kissing, holding hands, embracing or just talking. Bella had never seen so much... **inclusivity **in any one place - and she absolutely loved it.

Julia appeared beside her, retaking her cool hand in her own. Bella's face remained completely still, her eyes wide and her mouth open, with a slight smile curling her lip.

"So" She began, reaching up a dark hand to caress Bella's cheekbone "do you like it?"

Bella snapped out of her trance, and slowly turned and lifted her head to look at Julia, who was pleased to register a wide grin on the face of the smaller woman.

"I love it" She said breathlessly, her eyes panning the room again. When she brought her eyes back to Julia's, they had a seductive quality, as if they were asking sincerely for something, and Julia wasn't one to disappoint. Bella reached up on tip-toe as Julia bowed her head and they shared a kiss, slow and wanting, but ending altogether too soon.

"Fancy a drink?" Julia whispered, her lips millimetres from the shorter woman's ear.

"I'd love one" Bella grinned, at an equally intimate volume, and the taller woman led her, hand in hand to the bar. It was made of dark wood and manned (if you'll excuse the phrase) by a tiny, pixie-like woman with short hair that stuck out in all directions. She was wearing a black tank top and had tattoos that spidered across her pale arms, which were currently busy shaking a cocktail for a fiery-haired woman sitting at the bar. The wall behind her was a hive of liquor, mirrors and filament lightbulbs that emitted a golden light.

"Hey, Jules" piped the short woman behind the bar "What can I do for you?" Her voice had an airy, musical quality that Bella found instantly relaxing.

"Glass of Merlot, if that's okay, Alice" Julia replied, obviously comfortable around this woman who Bella was sure had served her an obscene number of drinks over the years.

"I suppose I can just about manage that" Alice said with a coy smile, "and what's your name?" She turned to Bella, with a kind smile on her face.

"Bella" she smiled back at the attractive bartender.

"Okay Bella, what would you like to drink?"

She should probably have thought about this beforehand, but Bella now found herself without a clue of what she wanted. She had never been a massive drinker, having been heavily pregnant at the age when all of her peers had been out getting (as they called it) _shitfaced, _so she was definitely not versed in alcohol.

"Uhh... a jack and coke please, Alice" She stammered, having heard that drink once on a tv show and thought it sounded cool.

"Can do, ladies" Alice winked at them and turned to start making their drinks.

"Jack and coke?" Julia said incredulously, eyebrows raised.

"Why, is that wrong?" Bella was concerned that she'd just committed a horrendous faux pas.

"Not at all, just thought you were more of a" She put on a posh accent "_1935 Chardonnay, if you will, Butler _kind of person"

"I think you'll find" Bella started, raising an eyebrow "that I'm full of surprises"

"Have fun ladies" Alice winked as she handed over their drinks, before moving along and introducing herself to the next pair stood together at the bar.

They made their way across the room, to the booth nearest to the solo guitar player, a thin woman with golden eyes and masses of curly blonde hair, who smiled at them as they passed.

"That's Tanya" Julia indicated to Bella "she's been performing her forever"

Bella couldn't quite put into words how much she adored this place, but tried to as she sunk into the dark leather furnishings of the booth, which was decorated with old record sleeves and fairy lights which hung down, giving a warm and magical feeling to the booth.

"This place..." Bella began, flabbergasted "it just... it makes me feel at home"

"I guess that's why I keep coming back" Julia replied dryly, taking a sip of her drink "you won't find a bar like it, not in the whole of London"

"I just feel so welcome here, you know? I usually stick out like a sore thumb at parties and that - just so awkward..." she trailed off, making eye contact with the woman across from her, and taking a sip of her drink (which was really rather nice). "Tell me about yourself" she said suddenly, propping her head up on her hand like a schoolgirl.

"Well... My name's Julia Black, I'm twenty six, my mother's Spanish and my father's Native American" she reached her hand over the table and held Bella's softly "I live alone, if you discount Anna the cat, and I'm a mechanic"

Bella knodded, thinking about how to convey the very delicate information that it was only fair Julia knew about "My name is Isabella Swan, I'm twenty three, my mother lives in Arizona and my father is a retired police chief and he lives in the Lake District" she shifted the hand that Julia held on to, to reveal her plain silver wedding ring "and I'm also married to Edward Cullen, and I have a five year old daughter called Renesmee" Bella rushed this information, terrified that Julia would stand up and declare her a deciever and a liar, and she knew she deserved nothing less than this, but Bella selfishly wished that none of this would matter, and Julia would continue to treat her as if it weren't true. However, it was true, and the implications of this were playing across Julia's face.

"Bella" Julia started softly, lifting the other woman's chin up with her hand so they could look at each other "None of that is going to change the way I feel about you" she cupped the other woman's face in her palm, and stroked it with her thumb " what I see before me is a sexy, intelligent, amazing woman who has been bogged down by her circumstances" she took another sip of wine "what I don't see is someone whose greatest aspiration is to be a family woman, am I correct?"

"I... I suppose you are" Bella spoke, her eyes returning to the table "when I was younger, in sixth form, I mean, I always wanted to be an actress" she flushed, embarrassed at this juvenile dream "I had it all planned out, was going to study theatre at university and get small parts in local theatre productions. It wasn't going to be big but it would be mine, you know? And that would be enough"

"Well why don't you?" Julia enthused, her imagination running wild "you could enroll at university, save up some money, it could still all work out"

"Believe me, I'd love nothing more, but-" Bella trailed off

"But what?" Julia prompted with a somber smile

"But I just _can't, _I have Renesmee to think about, Edward definitely wouldn't approve, he never liked the idea of me acting, told me it was just a childhood fantasy..." she hurried through this, spitting the last part, resentful of her self-made boundaries.

"I've never met this Edward character" Julia mused with a dreamy smirk "but I'd very much like to" and a look came across her face that made Bella wonder what evil things were in store for Edward should he run into a a dark haired, muscled lesbian on the street. Bella giggled at this, batting the other woman playfully on the arm.

"You can't say that" they were both laughing now, and the mood instantly lightened again.

"Hey" Julia gestured over at the musician who was now belting out a passionate love song "hows about I introduce you to Tan? I think her break's coming up"

"I'd love to meet her, but..." she leaned in a bit "do you think she'd like me? You know, I feel a bit like a wolf dressed in sheep's clothing over here"

"What, are you asking whether you're too straight for all my lesbian friends?" And they both laughed at this.

"No," Bella got out after she'd calmed down somewhat "I was just wondering if they'd be jealous of the smouldering temptress who managed to pin you down" and she extended her knee beneath the table to it was touching Julia's thigh.

"Not at all" Julia gasped at this sudden contact "they're probably thrilled that I'm not here alone, you know, I'm not quite as promiscuous as my playful, boyish exterior would have you believe" and she leaned in to Bella's touch "well, not as promiscuous _any more" _

The final chord of Tanya's piece reverberated through the small, underground space, and she murmured a "thank you, everybody" before she placed her very expensive-looking guitar on it's stand and gracefully leapt down from the raised platform she was performing on.

"Hey, Tan" Julia called over from where the two woman were sitting, and the blonde woman's head swivelled round to grin at them, her golden eyes lighting up.

"Hey, Jule," she bounced towards them, and turned to look at Bella "and her gorgeous companion"

Bella flushed and looked at the table, she had never been great at receiving compliments.

"Quit flirting with my date, Tan" Julia reprimanded with a grin, knowing full well that the blonde always had more women on the bounce than strings on her guitar at any one time.

"What can I say? Can't teach an old dog new tricks"

"Hi, Tanya, I'm Bella" she smiled, extending her left hand since her right was being held by Julia. The blonde woman took it in her stride and shook her hand warmly, and Bella was shocked at how strong and calloused her short-nailed fingers were.

"Years of sex and guitar" Tanya said, reading Bella's expression perfectly, and Bella felt herself embarrassed in spite of herself at this intimate detail, but she loved it. Tanya let go of her hand after a beat too long and turned to Julia.

"Soooo, how did you guys meet?" She was excited and was leaning forward on the table, her head flitting between the pair.

"I'm a barista at a coffee shop and" Julia looked down at her feet, hiding a smile "she left her number on the counter"

Tanya's jaw dropped, a grin spreading across her face "_bullshit" _and she began to squeal with laughter "you _left your number on the counter?! _Fuck, Jules you have changed"

Julia was still smirking at her feet, well aware how the move had been incredibly out of character for her, but... it had been different with Bella, sure she had seen an attractive, intelligent woman, but she had also sensed a different side to her, a side that was sick of asking whether a person would like another shot of espresso. So Julia took the chance, she had been too terrified of this beautiful woman rejecting her so she had scribbled a note whilst her back was turned and passed it to her along with her five pound note. It was cowardly, but it had more than paid off.

"I'm so glad that you left it" Bella lifted the other woman's chin with her hand so they could look at each other, her voice was soft, quiet, a world away from Tanya's gregarious shouting. She squeezed her hand, and Julia squeezed back, her green eyes dilated and wide. "You look adorable when you're embarrassed, I should try it more often"

"I suppose I should say thank you" she shifted in her seat so she was facing Tanya "and as for you" her eyes narrowed "I'll deal with you later"

"I should hope so" Tanya winked and bounded off before Julia could retort. They both exhaled in relief, and faced each other again.

"Glad you met her?"

"Absolutely, at least she finds herself funny" Bella smirked over at the other woman.

"That's one way of saying it at least" Julia rolled her eyes as she finished her drink, and eyed Bella's empty glass. "Fancy another one?" She inquired as she stood to return to the bar.

"I really shouldn't, I'm driving" Bella said indecisively, interlocking her fingers.

"In my language" Julia leaned in so that her chin rested on Bella's shoulder "that means _yes" _Bella closed her eyes and inhaled Julia's earthy scent, before she regained her composure and strutted off to the bar with a wink.

Bella began to have a mini-freakout after Julia was gone, but it was for a painfully mundane reason - she was enjoying herself _far too much_. It was a completely foreign experience for her, the women, the alcohol, the music (which Tanya was back to belting out). But the other feeling, the impulse that she couldn't switch off, was the sensation of butterflies that filled her up every time she looked at Julia, she had never felt quite like it before, and the reason she was freaking out was that she knew it was just like her to go and ruin it, to say the wrong thing or offend Julia in some way, or even that she would just wake up and it all be a dream.

Ten metres away, Julia, leaning onto the bar, was having a similar breakdown, whispering hurriedly to a shocked looking Alice.

"_What do I do? I have no clue how to do relationships, what if she just wants to be friends and I've been lying to myself?" _

"Black, quit stressing out, I've seen the way she looks at you, been a while since I had a girl look at _me _like that" she reassured the panicking woman, murmuring this last part bitterly, running her fingers through the back of her black hair.

"_Listen, I'll take your word for it because I trust you, but God, Alice, I've never stressed this much over a girl before" _her eyes had a genuine, desperate quality.

"You're so naive, Jules, really" Alice smirked as she went about preparing their drinks.

"What do you mean?" Julia said at a normal volume, unprepared for this answer.

"That's called _love, _it's different to lust, it's deeper, it's more self conscious - just think" she turned, placing two drinks on the counter "when _I'm _looking to fuck, I don't freak out on my bartender about whether or not it's going to happen"

"You're more than just my bartender, Alice, you're my friend" Julia grabbed both of the drinks and turned to leave.

"Watch it, Black, you're not getting mates rates just by complimenting me" Alice warned, smiling with her arms crossed whilst leaning on the back wall.

Julia turned her head and smirked sarcastically at her whilst walking back towards her booth. There she caught sight of Bella, a sculpture of marble, eyes roaming the scene before her, drinking in the happiness, the love and the music that Julia had gotten herself lost in on many an occasion - Tanya may be obsessed with sex and a bit of an arsehole, but good god she could sing, and the soft melody she was beginning now gave Julia an idea.

"Hey Bella" she said, putting the drinks down with a flourish, "care to dance?" Julia extended her hand in a gentlemanly fashion, and Bella took it, an apprehensive smile on her face.

"I'd love to" she spoke, pulling herself up close to Julia, resting her head on the other's shoulder "although, just so you are properly warned, I really can't dance"

"Rubbish" Julia laughed, taking Bella's hands in her own, placing one on her shoulder and tentatively placing one of her own on Bella's waist. They began to sway side to side to the calming rhythm of _Perfect _by Ed Sheeran (although given a manic quality by Tanya), oblivious to the fact that people were watching, oblivious to the fact that they were alone. Right then it was just Julia, Bella and the music, and that's all they cared about. Bella squealed as the other woman extended her arm, twirling her out, before catching her back again. Julia could hear the song coming to an end, and desperately wished for this moment to last longer, but then, as she expected the final chord to sound, it never came, instead it melded fluidly back to the beginning of the song. Julia made grateful eye contact to Tanya, who winked and continued to play.

And so they danced, giggling and swearing as Bella managed to step on Julia's feet and her own simultaneously, which must be a mathematical impossibility. Nevertheless she managed it, although with time she got more confident, sending them both off laughing when she swung her torso back left to right dirty dancing-style. As the song began to draw to a close again (and for the last time judging by the impatient look on Tanya's face), a mischievous glint came into Bella's eyes, and, all of a sudden she lowered Julia's back, and with a yelp and a giggle, she dropped to Bella's chest height, with sturdy hands supporting her back. Then, as the song came to a close, Bella lowered her head and kissed the other woman, slowly bringing her back upright as she did so.

And, as Tanya sounded the final chord of the song, everybody in the small room applauded, from Alice to the lone women at the bar, to the couples dotting the booths. Unbeknownst to the pair, they had all halted their conversations and turned to admire the adorable couple, fondly remembering when they first fell in love. They all knew Julia, or at least recognised the attractive woman who had always come alone, and they were all glad to see her period of loneliness come to an end with this beautiful woman. Bella turned red as the other woman bowed with a flourish, before they returned to their booth and took large swigs of their much-needed drinks.

"That was... fucking amazing" Bella had a smile of pure exhilaration, and could still feel the adrenaline quickening her heartbeat.

"I know, right" Julia took the other woman's hands in her own, and planted a quick kiss on them. "I want to do this again, Bella, I want to be with you"

Bella, feeling all worries and consequences melt away, kissed the other woman deeply, freeing one of her hands and threading it through Julia's short hair, keeping their lips locked together. Finally, when they parted, she embraced her intensely, her fingers still intertwined in Julia's hair. "I don't want to be without you" she murmured, feeling truly alive for the first time in her life.

"Let's get out of here" Julia spoke all of a sudden, her green eyes fiery as they gazed into brown ones.

"Couldn't agree more" She said hurriedly, abandoning the drinks and letting the taller woman lead her towards the stairs. She caught a glimpse of Tanya leaning against the bar, Alice behind it, the tiny bartender looking triumphant as the musician gave her a wad of notes. Bella pointedly refused to believe that they had been betting on the outcome of the night, although she couldn't think of any other possibility.

The pair burst into the cold night, Bella backing up against the wall of the alley, as the taller woman placed her hands on the rough bricks on either side of Bella. They kissed fervently, lips and tongues moving as one, and Bella embracing the other woman firmly as they did so. _Sex in an alleyway _Bella thought to herself _that's a new one_, and in fact it didn't take too much to be a new experience for Bella - having only had sex twice, once in a bed and once in a car. However vanilla this was, Bella didn't know or care, being much too busy at present to consider it.

Bella reached below Julia's shirt, the heat radiating from her exposed skin shielded the pair from the cool October night. The taller woman utilised her well-practiced _skills, _causing very unladylike sounds to leave Bella's lips, her hastened breath condensing in the frozen air.

"Julia" She breathed - the only thing she could think to say, but it had the desired effect. Julia moaned as Bella reached her hands down, further down, clueless as to what she was doing but decisive in her movements. For her first time, she thought, she at least appeared to be doing rather well - she was certainly enjoying herself. All at once, she grabbed the other woman and spun her, pinning her gently against the bricks, they both giggled as Bella held Julia's wrists out to the side as she kissed her firmly.

Itching to let Julia continue her actions, she let go of her wrists and felt her hands venture straight beneath her dress, illiciting sounds from Bella that were completely alien to her.

As this progressed, Bella felt her legs get weak beneath her, and wasn't expecting the heat that build up within her before climaxing wonderfully. Bella had, aged twenty three, orgasmed for the first time to the woman she had met two days previously, and she was loving every second of it, as was Julia, especially now that the brunette was reciprocating.

That night, the couple had reluctantly split ways, both wanting nothing more than to wake up in each other's embrace, but texts from husbands were texts from husbands, and Bella didn't think that Edward would be quite so naive to swallow any excuse that Bella had for staying the night away, especially if she were to return in her clothes from the previous night. This was somewhat of a red flag, she found. But as Julia shut the car door behind her, the woman in the driver's seat opened the window and pipped the horn, getting Julia's attention whilst traumatising the tabby cat who had briefly fallen asleep under Bella's car.

"I'll... see you tomorrow" she'd said lamely, regretting the words instantly, but Julia flashed a grin at them, and leaned into the open window.

"I'll text you, can't wait, gorgeous" and with a wink she pecked her on the lips and flew off, leaving a very flustered Bella in her wake.

It wasn't as bad as she thought, returning to her tiny flat - Edward had only just gotten back himself and had sequestered himself in their room to 'catch up on the timezones' before he left for Hamburg the next morning, and hadn't even asked Bella what she had been up to that night (which she was honestly a bit sad about, since she had spent at least ten minutes stressing in her Volvo about the perfectly plausible excuse). But she couldn't stop thinking about it, of Julia's soft touch, the memory of the warm in her thighs, the music, the people - she had a strong suspicion that she would wake up the next morning and it would all just be a dream. But she knew, that even if it was just her imagination, Bella was would not wake up as the same woman who had fallen asleep.


End file.
